Search Me(64)

The intensity of his voice impressed me. A few seconds passed before he was transferred. Maddox flicked the speakerphone on so I could hear as well. A rich, deep voice filled the cab of the truck. “Agent Montrose speaking. I understand you have some information about one of my cases?”

Maddox drew in a deep breath. “Look, I don’t have a lot of time, so you’re going to have to work with me and trust what I’m about to say is the one hundred percent God’s honest truth, okay?”

Agent Montrose didn’t miss a beat before replying. “I’m listening.”

Maddox then proceeded to tell Agent Montrose every unbelievable detail of the map and the treasure from Jensen’s initial visit to Maudie to the warehouse fire and car chase, and then to us finding the treasure. He didn’t leave out a single detail. Okay, so he managed to leave out any embarrassing ones like last night or this morning.

“Now after all we’ve been through, I sure as hell want to get out with the gold, and I also want Jensen to end up back in a maximum security prison.” Maddox’s gaze flickered over to mine. “Most of all, I gotta get Lane and Stephen out unharmed. But I can’t do it alone. So what are you going to do to help us?”

My breath caught in my chest waiting for Agent Montrose’s response. “That’s quite an ordeal you’ve been through. I can assure you that the bureau and myself will do everything we can to ensure your safety. Carl Jensen has been on our radar for some time—he’s actually climbing up the Georgia’s Most Wanted list. I’ve already put a tracker on this phone, and I know your exact location. Give me your cell numbers that Jensen is tracking as well.” After Maddox had given the information, Agent Montrose said, “I’m dispatching both agents and deputies to the area as well as putting a swat team and chopper on stand-by.”

Maddox grinned. “You work pretty fast.”

Agent Montrose laughed. “I suppose we do. Thankfully in matters of life and death, we work extremely fast. It’s going to be important that you keep this phone on you so we can continue using the GPS. It’s a precaution just in case Jensen decides to take you to another rendezvous place.”

That thought sent a desperate feeling ricocheting through me. I didn’t want there to be a nanosecond that our whereabouts could be unknown to the GBI. It was already scary enough that we had to meet up with Jensen without them.

“Okay, we can try.”

“I’m glad to hear it. I want you guys to rest easy knowing you did the right thing by calling us. And we’re doing everything we can to help you.”

“Thanks,” Maddox replied.

“Listen, I’ve got to go, so I can get out in the field. But no matter what happens, you have to stay calm. Trust your instincts and training.”

“I will.”

“See you in a little while.”

“Yeah, see you.” Maddox hung up and tossed me the phone. Smacking the steering wheel, he exclaimed, “This is all so bad ass! Man, I feel just like I’m back in my old company on a mission.”

“Wish I could say the same,” I replied.

Maddox turned to me. “Hey, stop worrying. It’s all going to work out.”

“I know…”

Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, Maddox said, “We’re going to need a way to keep the phone on us, so the police can track us. But it’s got to be somewhere well-hidden because if I know Jensen, he’s going to have us searched the moment we step out of the car.”

“You mean like somewhere on one of our bodies?”

“Yeah, it’s gotta be. They’ll go through our bags—probably even the truck to make sure we’re not hiding any of the gold.” Then his eyes cut over to me and honed in on my chest.

I gasped. “You want me to stuff a cell phone in my bra?”

“Can you think of a better place?”

“Um, at the moment...no. But give me a second,” I huffed.

Maddox grinned. “Trust me, it’s the best place. Even though Jensen and his men are hard-asses, they’re not going to make you take your shirt off or grope you. They’ll think you’re too sweet and innocent to hide anything in your bra.”

“And what if they put two and two together to realize you’re a horndog who’d be more than happy to give me electronic cle**age?” I countered.

He snickered. “Desperate times, babe.”

I eyed the cell phone contemptuously. If someone had told me thirty-six hours ago I would have been forced to hide a phone in my bra for the GBI to track us on the way to rendezvous with thugs, I would have said they were insane to his or her face. Unfortunately, the truth was all too real.

“Go on and at least try it,” Maddox instructed.

“I’m going, I’m going.” Taking a moment to turn the phone off, I then lifted up the bottom of my wet shirt, sliding the phone underneath. When I reached my bra, I shoved it into one of the cups and then the other. I tried to wedge it equally on both sides. Thank goodness I’d worn one of my sports bras because it would have never worked with my lacier numbers—I needed all the support and fabric I could get. I just hoped in the end that the wet fabric wouldn’t damage the phone or more precisely, the GPS.

I turned in my seat to where Maddox could see me better. “How does it look?”